Oil gauge-line wiper



April 27, 1948. M. H. Bcw

OILv GAUGE-LINE WIPER I N VEN TOR.

Filed May 1,6, 1946` AT'I'DRNEYB Patented Apr. 27, 1948 v-Ulvlrape sTA'ras Maur oFFlciE -IL GAUGE -LINE WVIPER Marvin H. Bow, Ardmore, Okla., assigner `oi? onchalf to Horace S. Bow, Ardmore, Okla.

' 4Claims. l

The present linvention relates Ito an improved oil gauge-line wiper adapted especially as .an attachment for use with the gauge-hatch of an oil eldtank, or similar storage -container :tor liquids;

and the present inventi-cn `involves improvements 1 in devices of this character lof the type .shownin Patent #2,201,517 issued May 2l, v119%0, to M. H. Bowforgauge line wipers.

The device of the instant invention is adapted for use in cleansing the flat, narrow steel measurlng tape or gauge line, Vand its plum-b bob, erni round-ing parts.

As a wiping medium a resilient .and elastic, spongy body or filler is employed, yand the specic improvements in the instant invention reside in means for applying pressure 'to various parts of the wiping medium to enhance the eiiiciency `and durability of the device.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and .arrangements of parts in the unitaryA structure forming the wiper device as will .more specifically be pointed out and claimed.

In th-e accompanying drawings lone complete example of ythe physical embodiment `of the invention is illustrated wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accord with one modeso far `devised for 4the practical application `of 'the principles of the invention, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations `may be made in these -exemplifying drawings without departing from the principles -of 'the invention.

Fig-ure l is a top plan view of a hatch, with .its cover open, showing a wiping device .attached thereto and in which the invention is embodied.

Figure 2 is Ya 4bottom plan View of the wiping device detached from the hatch.

Figure 3 is an eniarged Ydetailsectional View, as at li-ne 3-3 of Fig. l.

Figure 4 `is another enlargedV sectional detail view, as at -line of Figure 1.

In the plan view of Fig. l, the `equipment for use with the -hatchway or opening to the interior of an oli `'field tank includes a circular housing 'having a cylindrical collar l and an exterior Vannular at taching flange 2, which flange is usual-'ly `fastened 2 by bolts 3 to a complementary base ilange .of :the tank, and `a cover or lid il .'for the hatch is .hinged at 5 to the collar l, the cover `being shown in ropen position for convenience of illustration.

The w'ipenasa unit, includes Va cup-shapedvmetallic casing 16 having a 'base or bottom plate 1 fashioned with an extension yor :attaching `iiange E which is inserted between the iiange '2 of the `collar and the complementary base flange :of the hatchway, and one .of the attaching bolts =or screws, as 3' is passed through registering ihol'es inthe 'flange a gasket 9, and flange 2 for the reception of a. clamp nut lil, which nut rigidly clamps the device to the flange ofthe collar. 'The wiper unit is located and arranged 2in :position where it is readily accessible for insert-ion and Awitlldrawal of the measuring ltape or gauge line and-its plumbbob, and lone wall of the casi-ng or cup 6 is curved to conform to the inner ann-ular surface of the collar -I` so that the wiper unit may be adjusted to desired position within the hatch housing, and then rigidly fixed in place.

Within the casing is enclosed a ller or 'boda7 l-ii that is fashioned of resilient and elastic, compressible, 4and oil-resisting material, preferably of synthetic rubber -of the neoprene type, which is durable, and highly satisfactory for performing its functions as a wiper for the measuring tape and its plumbbob.

The filler or bod-y lil conforms to the interior shape of the lcasing orcup B, and it is retained therein by means of a top metallic presser plate Il ttedwithin the open 'top of the casing. For

retaining the plate and for compressing the resilien-t and elastic body IU 'to a desired degree the presser plate may be adjusted'by means of `a pair of spaced clamp screws l2, `I 2 that are passed up`- wardly through registering holes in the base plate, the body or filler', and the presser plate, and: wing nuts i3, i3, are mounted on the projecting ends of the screws, above the presser plate, for clamping the plate upon the resilient Vand elastic body lil; metrically of the centrally arranged aperture for the plumb bob to pass through, in order that they may vertically compress the resilient material and thereby cause a lateral contraction in the size of the plumb bob, aperture, for a purpose to be eX- plained. The presser plate also applies an. equally distributed tension throughout .the resilient body or filler to enhance the wiping action on the measuring tape or steel gauge line and tis plumb bob. Y

The 'ller or body .lil is shown fashioned with a vertically disposed slot I4 which extends from These screws are spaced land located dia.-`

one side thereof inwardly to an enlarged cylindrical aperture I5 for the passage of the plumb bob, and this aperture opens within a concentric and enlarged opening I6 in the Ibottom .plate or base plate 'I of the casing 6.

In addition to the enlarged circular opening I6, the base plate is fashioned with an enlarged .radially extending slot I'I having its edges parallel with the slot I4, and as best seen in Fig. 2 the slot I'I opens at the edge of the plate -coincident with the opening of the wiper slot I4.

One vertical wall of the cup-shaped casing 6 is also slotted to register with the open mouth of the wiping slot I4, and the ends of this slotted wall terminate in a pair of outwardly aring lips I8 and I9 for guiding the steel measuring tape or gauge line into and out of the wiping slot I4.

As best seen in Fig. 1, the presser plate Il is also provided with an enlarged slot 2i] disposed with its edges or walls parallel with and outset from the walls of the slot I4, and this slot terminates in an enlarged circular opening 2I concentric with the -cylindrical aperture I5 of the body.

From this description and disclosure it will be apparent that `the elastic and resilient material forming the body of the wiping device, Iis provided with a wiping slot for the passage of the steel measuring tape, and the tape passes through the slot with the walls of the slot in frictional, wiping, engagement with the opposite faces of the tape, for the purpose of removing from the tape the oil fil-m or drops as the tape emerges from the tank.

Friction .between the walls of the slot and the opposite faces of the tape may be varied to alter the resistance to a pull or push on the tape, to vary the squeezing action of the wiper, and to compensate for wear of the wiping walls caused by insertion and withdrawal of the measuring tape.

For this purpose an inner, vertically arranged metallic pressure wall 22 is interposed :between the casing wall and an exterior face of the body Ii), and this wall is fashioned with a U-shaped hook 23 embedded in the material of the body as best seen in Fig. 4. For co-action with this presser wall a clamp screw 24 is threaded in a complementary bearing or exterior bushing 25 integral with the casing, and the screw is located in a plane perpendicular to the wall of the presser wall, and at an obtuse angle -to the slot I4. It will be obvious that by turning the screw against the presser wall, the resilient and elastic body may be compressed toward the wiping slot I4 for the purpose of increasing the frictional engagement of the slot walls with the opposite -faces of the steel tape..

In the operation of removing the tape from the tank and ythe lower 'end of the line reaches the under side of the wiping device, the line is slipped laterally into the aperture I5, so that the plumb bob will be alined with the aperture for passage therethrough. e

As best seen in Fig, 3 the body or filler I0 is fashioned with a frusto-conical, or tapered wiping cap 26 projecting upwardly over the aperture I5, and this cap, or wiping head, of resilient and elastic material, terminates in a neck 27 of reduced diameter. The frusto-conical walls of this head are comparatively thin and they taper down to the neck, in order that the plumb bob, as it is slipped up through the aperture I5, spreads the head and neck, but due to the resiliency andvelasticity of the material of the head and neck they wipe off the oil iilm and drops from the upwardly emerging plumb bob, permitting this excess oil to drop back into the tank.

It will be noted that the openings in the metallic parts of the casing, complementary to the slots and openings in the body or filler, are of larger area than the body openings and slots, thus insuring resiliency and elasticity in the walls that come in contact with the measuring tape and the plumb bob.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: y

1. In a wiping device for a gauge line, the combination with a body of resilient material having an open-edge wiping-slot, a stiiT presser wallA carried by the body and spaced from said wiping-slot, and a casing enclosing the body and wall and having enlarged slots registering with the body-slot, of a presser screw operatively mounted in a wall of the casing and engaging said presser-wall.

2. In a wiping device for a metallic measuring tape, the combination of an enclosing casing' having upper and lower open-edge slots and upper and lower concentric openings terminating said respective slots, a body of resilient material enclosed within the casing and having a wipingslot registering with the body slots and a wiping aperture registering with said openings, and said wiping aperture having an upwardly extended frusto-conical wall forming a wiping-cap.

3. In a wiping device for a metallic measuring tape, the combination of an enclosing casing including an adjustablerpresser plate,rsaid casing and plate having open-edge slots and upper and lower openings terminating said Vrespective slots,:

a body of resilient material enclosed within the casing and presser plate, said body having a y wiping slot in alignment with the casing and plate slots and a wiping aperture concentric with.`

said openings, said wiping aperture having an upwardly extended frusto-conical wall forming a wiping cap, and means on said casing for moving said presser plate to compress the resilient body thereby varying the size of the wiping slot and wiping aperture.

4. A wiping device for a gauge line having a bob comprising a bottom plate having a support.

ing portion and an attaching ange portion adapted to be secured to the entrance of an oil hatch, a side wall extending vertically about and from the supporting portion of the bottom plate, the ends of said side wall terminating in opposed guide lips spaced relative to each other, said supporting portion of the bottom plate'having an opening and a slot extending therefrom to the edge of the bottom plate and in alignment with said opposed guide lips, a resilient compressible member on said bottomplate and within Vsaid wall, said compressible member having a ycylindrical opening therethrough and a slot extending from said opening to the edge of said Y compressible member, a presser plate slidably received within said side wall, said presser plate having an opening and a slot extending from said opening to the edge of said'presser plate, all said openings and slots respectively aligned, means extending through said .presser and bottom plates for adjusting the distance therebetween to vary the degree of compression Vof said resilient member, a hollow frusto-conical portion formed on said resilient member, said frusto-conical portion being aligned with said resilient member opening and extending through said pressure plate opening, a reinforcing means anchored in said resilient member oppositie the slot thereof and means adjustably mounted in the side wall and abutting said reinforcing means for moving the same to vary the distance between opposed portions of the resilient member slot. n

MARVIN H. BOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ie of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Burkhardt July 14, 1931 Stewart Mar. 24,` 1936 BOW May 21, 1940 Miller June 95 1942 

